—this is a day of reflection in the literal sense, dim windows, softened light, and the quiet confrontation of seeing yourself softened by the season
The mirror fogs before your breath,
a muted glass that blurs the truth,
your outline soft, your edges kind,
a gentler version of your youth.
You lift the mug, it clouds again,
your face erased, then drawn anew.
For one brief sip, you’re half a ghost,
a sketch the morning wanders through.
The coffee warms your shuttered hands,
the ones that shook in younger light.
You steady them against the glass,
two trembling shadows holding tight.
The steam retreats. The world returns,
and with it, all you meant to be.
You drink the rest. The mirror clears.
Some days, the blur is mercy.
📜 Still Life with Mug and Mirror – The Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 hot mug of coffee (steaming, slightly overfull)
- 1 mirror streaked with early light
- A breath you didn’t mean to pay attention to
Instructions:
Brew hotter than usual. Hold the mug close to the mirror until your reflection fades. Sip while your features soften into suggestion. Let the steam redraw you in silhouettes. Finish before clarity returns, some truths taste better blurred.